Ottawa High School Hall of Fame selects inductees

The Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame was established in 2006 by the OTHS District 140 Educational Foundation Inc.

The focus of the hall of fame is to recognize excellence in achievement while someone is a high school student, after they leave OTHS or a combination of the two. Further, honorees may or may not have attended Ottawa High but were significant and accomplished contributors to the school.

OTHS teams or groups also are considered.

As a result of a nomination and selection process, five individuals and two teams have been selected as 2024 inductees to the Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame.

The inductees will be introduced between Ottawa basketball games Jan. 19 in Kingman Gym. A banquet will be held to present and honor inductees Saturday, Jan. 20.

Tickets are $45 and not available at the door. They can be bought through email at smacdonald@ottawahigh.com or kschmitt@ottawahigh.com or at othseducationalfoundation.org, as well as Ottawa home basketball games Dec. 15 and Jan. 12.

Here are the 2024 inductees:

Gary Vancil

Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee and former head varsity coach at OTHS for 13 years, with a winning percentage of almost 70%, he won seven regional and two sectional titles and reached the Elite 8 in 1984-85.

Dan Eilts (Class of 1971)

Also an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, he’s a former Ottawa Daily Times sports editor, longtime sports historian, statistician and OTHS supporter.

Sue Williamson (Class of 1971)

She was an OTHS teacher and play director for more than 37 years, directing 81 plays at OTHS and serving as Speech Team coach for 14 years and English Department head for seven years.

Dr. Holly Novak (Class of 1972)

A renowned cardiologist with more than 40 years of clinical experience, Novak designed and developed a successful cardiac surgery program for a community hospital named among the top 100 cardiac hospitals in the U.S.

Michael Cooper

Also an Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, he served as OTHS athletic director and head girls basketball coach, winning seven regional and conference titles and compiling 410 total victories, the most in a single OTHS sport.

1969-70 varsity football team

Undefeated and untied, the 9-0 Pirate football team also won the Lockport Invitational Football Tournament with two shutout victories and averaged 40.1 points per game while allowing an average 6.1 points per game to opponents.

1996-97 varsity girls tennis team

This girls tennis team that was undefeated in dual meets, finished as NCIC Conference champions, sectional champions and in a tie for 12th in the single class IHSA tournament behind one downstate school.